Haiti Development, Accountability, and Institutional Transparency Initiative Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, the people of Haiti continue to suffer from devastating natural disasters, political instability, and fragile public institutions. The country has never recovered from the 2010 earthquake or the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew in 2016.

With their economy unable to recover, Haiti remains the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. As a result, the lack of economic opportunity has led to an increase in crime and gang violence. At the same time, civil unrest caused by political instability plagues the island nation.

There are credible accusations of systemic government corruption and human rights abuses, and Haiti is facing a constitutional crisis after failing to organize legislative elections in 2019; meaning, the country has no sitting Parliament at this time.

We continue to strongly urge the Government of Haiti to hold free and fair elections that reflect the will of the Haitian people.

All of these challenges are now compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why I support the Haiti Development, Accountability, and Institutional Transparency Initiative Act. This legislation requires the State Department to assess how effective U.S. assistance is in helping Haiti's recovery efforts.

Haiti remains the second largest recipient of U.S. support in the region. Since 2011, American taxpayers have sent nearly $1.9 billion to assist them with economic development and to support expanding their democracy. It is our responsibility in this Congress to ensure that this money is, in fact, being spent wisely.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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